It's NOT Complicated
by joannahobbit
Summary: happens after "Rush to Judgment" complete for now. Reviews and new epi's will determine if I continue.


**SO, I started this practically as soon as the last episode was over (more than a week ago!! Tragic! And still one more to go before the new epi. *sigh*) Anyway, I had issues with the dialogue hence the length of time between episode and story. Hope you like.**

**The only Mac that belongs to me is orange and white. And currently purring.  
**

**XXX**

"I thought you didn't like hockey."

"I don't."

Walking out of the building Flack thought about the seeming contradiction that was Mac. The scientist was usually all business; seldom did he do things out of the lab with his co-workers. Well, except Stella, but that was another story altogether. Yet, despite his seeming aloofness, when it came to the cares of the team members Mac was the most supportive person of them all. He'd show up at the end of a shift and offer to buy the affected party a drink, then sit for as long as necessary, listening to them talk. Or not talk. He had surprised Flack and the rest of the guys when he had stayed to watch the game when Sid was still in the hospital. Flack had heard about Mac's reaction to the news Danny and Lindsay had shared just recently. All evidence that, despite the outer shell, the man cared. And now this.

Keeping an eye on the game Flack thanked Mac for the drink.

"Hey, you've had a rough day. It's the least I could do. Besides, you do a lot for my team. I don't thank you as often as I should."

"Rough day doesn't even begin to describe it Mac. I can't do that again. I don't know how you can do what you do. I see the dead bodies but don't deal too much with them. Being in the room when the guy died…Then IA, then Angell…." Flack trailed off. The fight with his girlfriend had bothered him but being unsure how much the older man knew, he decided to leave it. He looked over to see Mac giving him a knowing look, strongly laced with amusement.

"Geez Mac! How do you know these things?" yelped Flack. "Never mind. I forgot who I was talking to. How it is that you know the office secrets, I'll never know. You probably knew that Lindsay was pregnant before she did."

"I had an idea. And I get paid to notice things, so I tend to pay closer attention than most."

"So you know about the pool regarding you and Stella then." Damn, that came out without thinking. Sometimes his mind was his mouth and when that happened he always regretted it.

"No." The man looked at Flack with a raised eyebrow. "Care to share?"

"Ahhh…just ya know…" Flack was trying to think fast.

"No. I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

Shit. "Just uh…a pool betting on your fights with Stella; how many, who's gonna win 'em. You know."

The look on the older man's face told Flack that he was not believed. Yet Mac remained silent. Damn. Now Flack knew how witnesses felt. Mac's eyes were coldly curious.

"Really? Our fights. That's the best you could come up with Don? People stopped betting on those years ago. What's really going on?" Slate bored into cobalt, never blinking. Flack gave up, knowing if he did not tell, Mac would find out some other way. He took a long pull from the bottle in his hand, more for time to phrase it in his head than courage.

"Someone, and I swear I don't know who, started a pool, betting on how long it would take you and Stella to get together."

"Why would someone do that?" Mac seemed to be genuinely curious as he drank from his own glass.

"C'm on Mac! Everyone can see the way you look at Stella. She's your best friend; you'd let her get away with murder! If any one of us talked to you the way she does we'd be outta a job. Yet you and she have the loudest fights in the building and even as she storms out of your office you look like you'd like nothing more than to pin her against the wall and have make up sex right there. Added to that, she hot! I'm dating and I'll still admit that she's the best looking woman in the precinct. Damn, why _haven't_ you ever asked her out? Everyone's wonderin' what's takin' you so long."

During Flack's speech Mac had not looked away from his beer. He remained silent for some moments after Flack closed his mouth. Finally: "It's complicated."

"What do you mean complicated? You like her don't you? Pretty sure she likes you. You ask her out, she says yes, boom! You're dating. What's really going on Mac?"

Silence. The longer it extended the more Flack was convinced there was something more than the usual excuses men would give behind the reason for Mac's reticence. Letting the man sit and think Flack watched the game, not able to enjoy it completely. If Stella had not been the subject of the conversation he'd have called her to come talk to Mac. Flack knew he was right; Stella was able to do and say things to Mac that the rest of the team would get fired for. She'd have known what to say to make the man talk. A noise startled him out of his thoughts and away from the game. Who was winning anyway? Mac had placed some money on the table and walked out of the bar before Flack caught up with him. A cab was pulling up the the curb.

"Mac? Hey, I apologize if I was outta line back there. I shouldn'a been so hard on you."

"No Don. You were right. I didn't respond because I was thinking. It's not complicated. It's me. I know she likes me. My doing this to her is jerking her around. I either need to start something with her or let her know not to wait for me. Go back and finish the rest of the game. I need to be somewhere. I'm sorry I was not very good company." He was in the cab before Flack could formulate a response. Flack knew Mac was headed to see Stella. He could only guess what was going to be said.

Hailing his own cab Flack headed to his girlfriend's place. He had his own conversation to start.

XXX

**I'm thinking about writing another chapter but I wanna see what goes on in the next few episodes. Stella's fireman comes back apparently and as her date!! Nooooooooooooo! There are no words to express my anger if he's back for an undertimed length of time.**

**Leave reviews! And tell me if I oughta write more on this one.... Whatever I do or don't do the story won't be Flack centric. If you're a loyal reader you know it'll be Smacked.**


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